I visited a school recently and was asked, ‘Where do your ideas come from?’ The simple answer is everywhere!
My recent books are inspired by one or more of the 17 Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs). The SDGs are a really rich source of ideas, as they cover most of our lives. Aqua Boy relates to SDG 15 life below water, Eco Girl maps onto SDG 14, and Astro Girl takes its meaning from SDG 5, gender equality.
It’s a wonderful challenge turning grown-up concepts and language into relatable and enjoyable stories for young children, and highlighting the lives of people from around the world. This is one place where ideas come from. There are others, depending ont day, or the mood, or the prompt.
One of my upcoming books is inspired by SDG 13, Climate action.
The pace of climate change means more people are turning to renewable energy. If you wonder where ideas come from, current affairs is a great place to start. I like the fact people have the power to change their own destinies, even thought it must be very hard, and I always look for those stories in the news.
At times it feels like there will be no end to the stories that can come from current affairs, but it’s a tricky process involving research, iteration and experimentation. A can-do attitude will not be lost on curious children, who are the leaders of the future.
Understanding the world as much as possible helps creativity because it provides a reason to finish that book, by answering the ‘why’, while giving you energy to find out the ‘how’.